My son turned 6mo on the 5th of September and so I started introducing solids, but he won't open his mouth, blows spit bubbles when I put it in, and won't look in my direction. He started off eating them, but now refuses. He is EBF and has never even had a bottle. I thought he was ready because he kept trying to steal my food from my plate and he kept opening his mouth trying to take a bite. What should I do? Is he not ready, is this how EBF kids are? I've always worked with my others and so they had bottles and formula by this point. Staying home has changed things. What should I do?

He's not ready to eat solids yet, though he sounds ready to 'play' with them and learn about how they feel in his hands. This is a good way to keep him busy during mealtimes (it also allows him to be included in family meals). Check out Baby Led Weaning as an introduction to solids. If you are intent on spoon-feeding, just back off for now and try offering again in a few weeks.

J is the same - turned 6 months on sept 7 and ebf. we started a week before that doing BLW and she did manage to swallow some sweet potato and carrot. however we have reverted to TW because i don't eat anything appropriate to share with her, and she does the same, blows bubble etc. they will learn, i wouldn't give up. Part of BLW is that "before one food is fun" and im taking that approach with J. She gets finger's of stuff as well as it pureed and if she doesn't eat, she doesn't eat. Its a learning process and they don't associate solids with hunger, only milk. So just keep offering and LO will get it eventually. HTH

I don't think it has anything to do with being breastfed at all. It's just a curiosity. Your child is indeed curious about what you're putting in your mouth, but they tasted and decided they didn't want to eat it yet.

I would probably give them stuff to play with during dinner time - be it finger painting with purees or finger foods - but don't stress. My kiddo didn't agree to eat solids until about 7 months. and I just kept making things available from time to time.

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SAHM to Magnolia May (09/10), Luke Russett (04/13) and expecting 11/16. Wife and best friend to my airman.

My dd turns 11 months today and just started eating solids about 2 weeks ago. She is ebf as well. I think they will eat when they want to eat. I have always put food on her tray, given her cheerios, puffs, and whatever we ate as long as it wasn't spicy. She threw it all off. One day she decided she was going to eat and that's all there was. She had a spoon aversion until about 4 days ago too. My dad gave her a bite of something on a spoon and now she eats most meals off of a spoon. She had leftover spaghetti and some bread for lunch today, all fed with a spoon (except the bread). I tried cut up strawberries and blackberries (frozen fruit mix) and she didn't like them, but I'll try again. I've learned with #4 that they will eat when they are ready and not one second sooner! Don't worry

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Do you let them experiment with pieces of food or purees? I've never done BLW and never heard of it until reading this board. What about choking? Is he too young for pieces? I make all his food and just need to know what to use.

I gave my 5 month old teething kiddo a strip of steak and they gummed the tar out of it but never managed to get a big enough bit off to choke. BUT if you are worried you can have them in a baby carrier or in your lap so they are close enough to sweep their mouth out my smallest of the 3 has a very sensitive gag reflex but sweeping his mouth easily fixes it and he grabs it back so it doesn't deter him. carrots or broccoli let them chew or teethe on something and get the taste of food. Don't worry too much just let them grab your lunch if they want the worst I have ever had happen was they barfed it back up 5 minutes later or smeared it on their face sooo I would just let them do it..........
Sarah Butcher
mommy of Xander 3 1/2 Zoie 2 and BF mommy of Boaz 1/21/11

I agree with the others. Each baby is different. My son was ready at 4 months, but my daughter wasn't ready til 7 months, and my last boy didn't really want food til 8 months, and my other daughter around 6 months. If your LO isn't ready, u know it. And spitting it out shows that you may want to wait a few weeks/months til u try again. Whats the rush? Your baby is getting all the nutrients he needs right now with breast milk.

Do you let them experiment with pieces of food or purees? I've never done BLW and never heard of it until reading this board. What about choking? Is he too young for pieces? I make all his food and just need to know what to use.

Thanks for the input!

purees are fun for finger painting and big food is better for not choking. They might push it back too far and learn about their gag reflex, but when it's bigger, they just gum/chew on it.

My kiddo used to go to town on a big piece of slightly steamed parsnip

course, if you're really worried, just get some of the commercial foods - they dissolve in the mouth super fast.

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SAHM to Magnolia May (09/10), Luke Russett (04/13) and expecting 11/16. Wife and best friend to my airman.

My daughter is 8 months and only in the last week or two has eaten much. She likes rice cereal but still maybe eats a tablespoon at a time, usually less. She likes to eat breads and mostly wants to have control over what she's eating and how. So she gets some bread or mum mums to eat while we eat and otherwise isn't interested in much else. I figure it'll happen at some point on its own and am not too worried about it at this point.